Part 21 (2/2)

”Youdropped his eyes to the planks of the wharf before the girl's steady gaze

”We don't aiot to live

The dago's offered us six day straight with double for overtiive you a chance”

dickie Lang listened quietly, her eyes roa the knots of silent fishermen Some she noticed stood close and as their spokes had concluded, she began to speak in a voice which carried to the detached groups ofto say much But what I do say I want it to sink in Come up closer all of you where we can see one another”

When the fishered themselves about her, she looked hard into their weather-beaten faces and went on earnestly: ”Boys, you've known me since I was a kid Most of you knew ht hard for a living But he shot square every foot of the way Soled out a few of the older men and spoke directly to them: ”Do you think you'd be here now if it hadn't been for Bill Lang? What were the Russians and Austrians doing to you when he came? You were all down on your uppers and didn't knohere your next ht? Who backed you with boats and gear and taught you how to fish so you could hold your own against the outsiders?

You knoithoutyou”

Soh board planks at the girl's words There was no doubt that Lang had been square But as Blagg had pointed out, a man had to look out for hi to do with your quitting ht I'll show you that it has Lethis own fishermen? Why should he pay you felloice that much? Does he think you'll rob more traps, lay round more nets and run more men off the beach with his seine? Why should he pay you six dollars when he can load up with a gang that'll do what he says for three? Is that business?”

She paused and her lips coht line as she went on: ”You can answer those questions just as well as I can You knohat Mascola's ga to putto crowd me off the sea What do you suppose will becoet that six dollars a day with the Lang fleet out of co his men for a square deal ever since you ca the noticed that several of thethe his ranks, he felt it was up to hi Well, he had his trump card yet to play

”We ain't such fools as you think,” he said ”We ain't gone at this thing without considering pretty careful and gettin' good advice Last night sos over Mr Rock was there and he give us soood advice He says to the boys that it was every feller for hie on your house, hasn't he, Joe?”

Blagg flushed beneath his tan

”I reckon that ain't got nothing to do with it if he has,” he challenged ”And you understand I ain't even sayin' he has But he's a business”nobody knows that any better than I He lied to me and tried to flim-flam me out of my boats before my dad was buried a week If I'd fallen for it he would have had ot you, Joe But I didn't And when he found out I was going to stick to you boys, he called ainst Mascola's ory saw To in low tones with the fisherirl concluded ”We're up against a hard fight here at Legonia A fight for Americans to fish their oaters Sounds foolish, but you know it's the truth When ory were drowned off Diablo, Mascola thought he had us beaten

Rock thought so, too But I' to fool the around here, boys, e can't get a fifty-fifty break on our own coast And we're going to find out what it is”

Seeing that she had the ear of the ot a big proposition to offer you One that will beat Mascola's like an ace beats a deuce Because this one is on the square”

The fishermen crowded closer while she went on:

”You knoe've been up against here for years to get good help

You boys have been working short-handedot a plan now to get all the men you want Good hters! I want you men to train the all the work and I'll pay you four dollars a day straight tih the season But better than that I'll give you a share in the profits of not only onia Fish Cannery as well”

Gregory gulped It was dickie's voice all right But the words were his own There was soain control of his scattered senses as Blagg burst out: